The Frozen Chosen

The untold story of Israel's Olympic bobsled team.

Would you like something to read?"
"Do you have anything light?"
"How about this pamphlet, 'Famous Jewish Sports Legends.'"
-- "Airplane"

Sandy Koufax came along at just the right time. With memories of three-time MVP and World Series Champ Hank Greenberg fading among a new generation of baseball fans, Koufax seized the mantle as the single Jewish athlete who could carry a peoples' dreams. Later, after Koufax retired with his Cy Young awards and World Series Championships, Mark Spitz allowed the Jewish people to cry out, "Dayeinu! If it were not enough that he won seven gold medals, he did it in Munich and he was accepted to dental school!"

But, since Spitz, could the Jews identify a single athlete on whom to pin their hopes and dreams? Sure, there was a professional wrestler named Goldberg, but could we really see this two-hundred and fifty pound muscle-head joining us for a nice bowl of chullent on shabbos? And, after all of this time, maybe one man would not be enough to fill this void? Maybe we would need three men to carry our pride and maybe these three men would need to be wearing spandex.

In the fall of 2002, Aaron Zeff, John Frank and David Greaves decided to be those men and formed the Israeli two-man bobsled team. But, there were a few catches: none of them had experience bobsledding and the Israeli Olympic Committee had never heard of them or the sport.

Greaves's involvement was entirely fortuitous. During a meeting of friends in Las Vegas, Greaves met Aaron Zeff and learned that this former Top Gun fighter pilot, living in San Francisco, was planning to launch the team. Immediately, Greaves lobbied Zeff for a spot and when Zeff hurt his back and could not compete, Greaves got the call.

Twenty-four hours later,Greaves - thirty-five years old, recently married and selling business process software in Calgary -- was in a one-piece spandex suit, standing on the Calgary Olympic track. Greaves humbly remembers, "I met the prerequisites - I was in Calgary and I was Jewish." On the track, he introduced himself to his new partner, two-time Superbowl winning tight-end (one with Montana and one with Young) John Frank, now a plastic surgeon in New York.

Greaves and Frank were "forerunning" not competing -- meaning that they were taking a practice run before the actual competitors went down for that weekend's "Calgary Championships". They were like children on bicycles for the first time -- all they really had to do was hang on as someone else pushed them. Nonetheless, such an experience still had its perils, because a bike does not fly down ice at 130 kms per hour. Greaves recalls, "Before that first run, John looked at me and said, 'Gravy, say Shma Israel, and I did....twice."

'Gravy, say Shma Israel, and I did....twice."

When one is in a bobsled, the primary objective, even for experienced sledders, is to finish right side up - otherwise the human is no longer an athlete, but a primitive braking system. In this case, by turn seven of fourteen, Frank and Greaves had a four-hundred fifty pound sled on top of them. "I realized that we had crashed when my head was scraping against the ice," Greaves recalls. "What I would soon learn is that even in a good race, we could break some ribs." After that first run, Greaves officially became a member of the team. Who could say no to a man who had taken a faceful of ice for 1.5 kms and was still enthusiastic?

Soon, Zeff, Frank and Greaves, set an audacious goal, for a few guys who collectively had gone down the track fifteen times, never finishing right side up; they set out to compete on behalf of Israel at the World Cup. Because none of them were Israeli citizens, the three took a trip to Israel to make Aliya. "Aaron, John and I walked out of the absorption center, rented a car and gave the shekels we got from the government to Tzedakah."

Next, the three took another important step toward gaining recognition - they established the Israeli Bobsled and Tobogganing Federation, with Aaron's Uncle Oded, a religious real estate developer, as its President. Without a proper athletic body, they would not be recognized by the Federation Internationale de Bobsled et Tobaggane, attend international training and compete on the World Cup Junior circuit.

After months of patiently waiting for the next season to begin, Greaves, Frank and Zeff showed up at international training on a mission. Immediately, they encountered the German team, clad in black Adidas track suits with a twenty person entourage. The Israeli team looked like guests who had been invited to a party, unaware that they were supposed to be wearing costumes.

Greaves recalls that an American coach, Lenny Kasten, walked by and said, "Shalom," his accent revealing that he was a Russian Jew. Kasten looked at Greaves and said, "Do you know where the World Championships are this year? Konigsee." Greaves knew his history and thus knew that Hitler's winter vacation home, Eagle's Nest, was in Konigsee.

At International Training, where world powers like Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Italy fine-tuned their technique, the Israeli team learned to walk alongside the sled and then jump in while it was moving. Regardless of their technique, as long as they completed the training sessions, which they did by virtue of attending, they were able to join the America's Cup junior circuit, compete in a series of three qualifying races on Olympic Tracks in Calgary, Park City and Lake Placid and, if they finished right side up five times, they would ultimately join the World Cup Circuit that year.

In Calgary, they had two runs and not only do they finish, they medaled. In Park City and Lake Placid, they also completed their runs and finished 5th overall on the Junior Circuit. So, this band of outsiders, the "Frozen Chosen," had met the qualification standard and joined the World Cup circuit in Konigsee, alongside Olympic champions.

"Frozen Chosen," had met the qualification standard and joined the World Cup circuit in Konigsee, alongside Olympic champions.

Wearing white spandex suits with blue ISRs across their chests and competing with a sled with the Israeli flag painted on it, the Israeli team gets to hear Hatikvah being played. Greaves describes "chills" as he speaks of the emotion released when watching elderly Germans coming to cheer them on. "I never thought that the best thing I could do for Eretz Israel was ride in the back of a bobsled."

The Israeli team ultimately came in 36th of 39 teams, finishing 3.5 seconds behind the first place finishers and their season ended. Ultimately, the training schedules, separation and bureaucratic hassles meant that the team, which came so far, needed to disband. Still, Greaves has no regrets, "We raised awareness of bobsledding in Israel and Israel through bobsledding."

They may not have clubbed 58 homers, pitched four no-hitters, won seven gold medals or bodyslammed the Rock, but the Frozen Chosen were true Jewish athletes - the kind that you would definitely want to have over for chullent on shabbos.

Visitor Comments: 6

Right up there with the Jamaican team. Why can''t we get the same publicity as they got.

(5)
Jennifer Rudner,
May 14, 2008 8:20 AM

Heartwarming Story

This is such an inspirational story. Keep the Israeli flag flying guys!

(4)
Johnny,
May 14, 2008 7:23 AM

Where''s John Candy

Where''s John Candy when you need someone to coach a team from a hot country in the bobsled....

(3)
Fredy K. Seidel,
May 13, 2008 6:56 AM

I qwelled

It makes me proud to be a Jew.

(2)
Hilda,
May 13, 2008 6:00 AM

Beautiful

I loved it

(1)
ethel weissman,
May 12, 2008 7:38 PM

amazing and of course, olny in israel

we need more of this. incidents like these should be made more public so that the world could see the true character of the people of israel. there are too many articles that display negativity. we need better publicity.

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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